The newest model of Closing Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade brings a 2021 PlayStation 5 improve of a 2020 PS4 recreation to a 2025 gaming handheld hybrid in 2026. It’s port of an incredible recreation and suggests a shiny future for third-party blockbusters on Change 2 from publishers keen to take a position the time and assets into doing it proper.
I performed the brand new model, out January 22, for round 4 hours, racing again by means of the early part of the sport in time to fulfill again up with Aerith and stroll by means of a few of the extra taxing areas within the early recreation. I used to be struck by two issues throughout my temporary return to the slums of Midgar. The primary was simply how linear, centered, and cinematic the Closing Fantasy VII Remake is in comparison with its sprawling successor, Rebirth. It was enjoyable, refreshing, and nostalgic—all of the issues that made the 2020 recreation value its lengthy wait.
The second was how hardly ever it felt like I used to be enjoying a nerfed model Closing Fantasy VII Remake, one compromised for a transportable system (I performed virtually solely in handheld mode). It’s locked at 30fps as a substitute of one thing greater however that by no means felt like a drag. The textures, lighting, and particle results by no means drew consideration for the flawed causes. I by no means sat there in a boss combat or cutscene considering, “This is fine but I wished it looked better.”
It’s a vibe verify backed up by technical analyses from the specialists. A really thorough evaluate of Closing Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade‘s performance on Switch 2 by Digital Foundry finds that it’s weaker than the PS5 model in some areas however typically higher than the PS4 one throughout the board. There is no such thing as a infamously low-res texture eternally ready to load on Cloud’s seventh Heaven condo door. Pop-in is generally a non-issue. The lighting in lots of scenes is extra detailed than within the PS4 model as properly.
The one actual place the Change 2 port falters is in the case of hair in handheld mode. It’s a small problem however a noticeable one for a recreation whose hero’s most defining function is a Chocobo’s nest of spikey blond hair. From Tifa’s lengthy ponytail to Aerith’s brunette braids, there’s typically dithering and fuzziness. A few of the UI components sometimes really feel particularly small or laborious to learn in handheld mode as properly. It didn’t shatter my immersion however the recreation isn’t fully freed from small downgrades right here or there that remind you you aren’t enjoying on one of many high-end residence consoles (the Change 2 model arrived alongside the Xbox Sequence X/S ports).
In the event you’re somebody who by no means owned a PS4, PS5, or PC that would play Closing Fantasy VII Remake, I’d advocate the Change 2 model with out hesitation. If the Change 2 is the one console you’ve ever owned, I would even name it a “must buy” relative to the remainder of the console’s library proper now. PlayStation homeowners take entry to video games like this as a right. For Nintendo followers, it’s nonetheless a particular deal with, and hopefully the primary of many.
